In recent times, it has been found desirable to provide a raised portion or rib along the direction of elongation of the flexible golf club grip to promote correct club alignment for the user of the club. Flexible golf club grips are typically made of molded elastomer, and, in the manufacture of such flexible grips for golf clubs, it has been found desirable, upon removal of the flexible grip from the curing mold, to buff the outer surface of the grip to remove any mold release compound and to provide a textured surface for enhancing the gripability. The buffing operation has been found to remove excessive amounts of the elastomeric material forming the raised portion or rib along the grip; and, has thus made it challenging to control the height of the raised portion or rib as it relates to USGA/R&A rules in the finished product.
Heretofore, the raised rib on a flexible golf club grip has been provided by forming a groove in the mold core or mandrel which, upon molding, provides a rib on the internal periphery of the flexible grip. Upon removal of the grip from the mold after curing, and subsequent assembly onto the shaft of the golf club, the internal rib causes the outer periphery of the flexible grip to be distorted and raised therealong to provide the external rib on the outer periphery. The external rib thus formed is accomplished by distorting the material of the flexible grip and has resulted in the inability to control the size and configuration of the rib which has been found to be undesirable from both an aesthetic and gripability standpoint. Thus, it has been desired to provide a way or means of forming a rib along the outer periphery of the flexible golf club grip in a manner which enables control of the height and configuration of the rib in the molded elastomeric grip.
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the technique for providing an external rib on the flexible golf club grip employed in the prior art is illustrated wherein a mandrel 1 has a longitudinal groove 2 formed therein on the exterior thereof; and, uncured elastomeric material 3 is disposed on the mandrel with the material entering the groove 2 to form an internal rib on the flexible grip. The mandrel with uncured elastomer is then placed in a mold comprising an upper section 4 and a lower section 5 and the mold is closed and heated to effect curing of the elastomeric grip. Upon removal of the mandrel and grip from the mold after curing, the mandrel 1 is removed from the grip. Upon completion of any finishing operations, the grip is then assembled over the shaft of a golf club, denoted by reference numeral 6 in FIG. 8, and the cured grip 7 is subsequently received over the club shaft 6 such that the rib formed on the internal periphery of the grip causes the grip to be distorted and produces the rib 8.